Indians Announce 2009 Player Development Staff

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CLEVELAND, OH-- The Cleveland Indians & Director of Player Development ROSS ATKINS today announced the player development staff assignments for the 2009 season. TOREY LOVULLO will manage the Columbus Clippers, the Indians newest Player Development affiliate, while MIKE SARBAUGH (Akron), CHRIS TREMIE (Kinston), AARON HOLBERT (Lake County) and TRAVIS FRYMAN (Mahoning Valley) will all return as managers of their respective 2008 club’s. TED KUBIAK will manage the AZL Indians as Cleveland shifts its rookie league team from the Gulf Coast League to the Arizona League.

The Indians also announced the field staff assignments for the 2009 season. DAVE HUDGENS (Field Coordinator), DAVE MILLER (Pitching Coordinator), BRUCE FIELDS (Hitting Coordinator), GARY THURMAN (Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator) and TIM LAKER Catching Coordinator) will all return to the same positions they held during the 2009 season. STEVE LYONS, who was the pitching coach of the GCL Indians last year, will serve as the Lower Level Pitching Coordinator and Professional Scout during the 2009 season.

Lovullo will begin his first season as the Manager of the Columbus Clippers and his fourth consecutive season as the Manager of the Indians Triple-A affiliate. He will again be joined by SCOTT RADINSKY who will serve as his pitching coach for the third straight season. Joining Lovullo’s staff this year will be JON NUNNALLY who last year served as a coach for the Kinston Indians.

Sarbaugh will return to Akron where he guided the Aeros to the Eastern League Championship series in 2008. RUBEN NIEBLA who was the pitching coach at Lake County last year, has been promoted Akron where he will serve as Sarbaugh’s pitching coach. LEE MAY Jr. also returns along with Sarbaugh to Akron as May will serve as a coach for the Aeros.

Tremie will again guide the Kinston Indians for the second consecutive season with GREG HIBBARD also returning as the club’s pitching coach. ROUGLAS ODOR who had managed the GCL Indians for each of the past two seasons will serve as a coach on Tremie’s staff.

Holbert will return to Lake County for his second campaign as the Manager of the Captains. TONY ARNOLD in what will be his 17th season as a coach in the Indians Player Development System will serve as Holbert’s pitching coach at Lake County. JIM RICKON also returns as a coach at Lake County for the third straight season.

Fryman, who last year made his managerial debut, will return to lead the Mahoning Vally Scrappers. KEN ROWE also returns as the club’s pitching coach. Joining Fryman’s staff this year as a coach will be PHIL CLARK, who spent the 2008 season as a coach with the GCL Indians last year.

Kubiak will manage the AZL Indians after spending the last five seasons as the Indians Player Development Defensive Coordinator. JEFF HARRIS will make his coaching debut as Kubiak’s pitching coach after a 14-year playing career. DENNIS MALAVE who served as the Indians bullpen catcher each of the past two seasons and ANTHONY MEDRANO, who was a coach on the CGL staff last year round out Kubiak’s staff.